Of Fear and Feathers
by TheGreyWinged
Summary: One year after the Exobyte breakout, an explosion takes out most of the new heroes/villains and some of Gotham. The League investigates those that survived. The last to interview is Grey Feather; Once rising star and nearly official League member, now a nut case. As they dive into her memories, can the League discover the truth of the explosion? Can they help Grey back to sanity?
1. Dirty Wings

**A/N: Well hi! This is my first FanFiction. Well for this site. And I don't think little stories to entertain friends count. Anyways! Just wanted to write something for my character in DCU. Warning: Some swearing, spoilers for the game missions, and it'll get pretty dark in some latter chapters. Though I might just make different stories and have this as a series... well until then this is the prologue! Enjoy, and feedback is welcome!**

* * *

Yes, you can _lose somebody_ overnight, yes, your whole life can be_ turned upside down_.

Life is _short_. It can come and go like a _feather in the wind._

-Shania Twain

* * *

It wasn't every day a superhero was seen walking the halls of the Watchtower for the first time. In the last few weeks, it was more like every second. So many metas, so many magic users, and so many techies. Each now running countless errands for the Justice League while dealing with an alien threat.

Brainiac wasn't as smart as he thought. Those exobytes were the reason he was going down. He was inadvertently the creator of his own demise. From the rumors she'd heard, they had Lex Luthor to thank for that. If it wasn't the heroes that'd saved her from Brainiac's ship, she was sure she would have joined him. Her new powers would have been more appreciated by the dark side.

At least that's what some of the other new heroes had said about her. Even amongst the freaks of the world, she was a weirdo. If it wasn't because of her powers, it was the large, metallic wings that dwarfed her form. If it wasn't the wings then it was her now golden, eagle eyes.

They gleamed from behind her mask, and as she stood watching new heroes wander by, she desperately wanted her goggles back to hide them. She missed her old costume. With the long sleeves, high collar, black slacks, the utility belt, and even her old, ugly gloves. Most of all her real-

"Grey, is your com. not working?" She turned around, and smirked slightly. It was as close to a smile as she got these days. Her hand fell to her belt. On which, her communicator was beeping.

"Yeah, it is."

The man smiled in a grin she'd become grateful for. He'd become a great ally, along with some others, since her arrival. She owed them much. No matter what they said, she felt forever indebt to the League, the Titans, and even a few villains. "Oracle is having a fit. Maybe you should answer her before she starts calling everyone to come check on you?"

"Got it." As she pulled the device off her belt, she asked him, "You didn't come up from Gotham just for that, what are you doing here?"

He sighed, "Always business. Batman needed-"

"Bullshit Nightwing. He could have called you. If it was bad enough to talk in person, you two wouldn't do it in the Watchtower."

"Fine, I wanted to train some new heroes in-"

"Bullsh-" The voice of Oracle came over her communicator, and the girl couldn't get a word in. "I'm- Ora- Hey! Wai-... I'll call you back." Rolling her eyes she hung up. "You were saying, Nightwing?"

"Alright, alright. I'm the one escorting you to the War Room today." His smile was gone. If she wasn't devoid of the ability, she might have laughed. Or gone pale. Or run. Maybe all of the above.

The last year had changed her more than she would have liked. And now, she was going to relive it. "I was just on my way there."

"You were standing there, staring into space."

She didn't say anything. Didn't move. Didn't flinch when he put his hand on her shoulder. Didn't even fight as he walked her up to the War Room door. Sadly enough, those closest to her in the Justice League had grown used to her spacing out on them. Often she'd be in one room and wake up in another only to find someone had walked her someplace. The Flash had a habit of moving her across the Tower when she spaced out. The others had quickly put a stop to this. But some days she'd be in the Hanger, then suddenly find herself in the darkest corner of the Magic Wing.

"There's no way this is going to help her mentality." The feminine voice broke through her thoughts, and with a few blinks she was back. Batwoman, the Question, and Raven were waiting outside of the War Room. It had been Batwoman speaking.

The Question crossed her arms and mumbled, "Beating a dead horse."

The comment made the newest heroine smile and laugh a bit hysterically. The other heroes just looked at her as she regained control. She had to wipe some tears away, and clear her throat before she could speak again, "You're always so accurate." Then to Raven, "Returning the favor? Or just here to send me off?"

"Both," The Titan said, "Martian Manhunter will be assisting."

"There's a lot of fire in there."

"He's been warned. I'll be assisting the whole time." They nodded to each other, before the winged girl spaced out again. Nightwing squeezed her shoulder, and getting no reaction he shook her a little.

"You'll make it. You already have, technically."

"Technically." She parroted. Her eyes still rather blank.

Batwoman hugged Grey, "It'll work out. It always does." But even that got no reaction from the girl.

Batwoman and Question stayed outside as the others went into the War Room. The normally large room felt like a black hole to her. Had Raven and Nightwing not been there, she knew she wouldn't have made it this far. She would rather have jumped off a bridge at this point.

She was guided to a chair and sat without complaint. Once seated, Nightwing strut to the front of the room, where three more heroes were. A woman in red, white, and blue, looking concerned and stern at the same time. A man in blue, with a red cape and a sad expression. But it was the man in black with a bat on his chest that Nightwing went up to.

"Can't you three just read her reports or something?! She's written everything down; all of it's in files on her computer and Oracles'. She-"

"You know they were destroyed." The Bat's voice was steely like normal. "Along with half of the diamond district."

"Question one of the others then! She's traumatized; it's not fair to-"

"Nightwing," Wonder Woman started, taking her eyes off of Raven and the other heroine for the first time since they entered, "we have. She agreed, we would not do it without her consent."

"She shouldn't be making any choices right now anyways!"

"We need that information, everyone else went through the same process." Superman said. "There's always the chance it'll help her. Maybe while we're looking for the information Martian Manhunter and Raven could fix her."

Nightwing was about to start arguing again, but Batman cut him off. "I understand she's a friend and you're trying to protect her. The decision is final. We'll be reviewing Grey Feather's memories just like everyone else. She was in the center when it went down, she's probably seen the culprit."

"That's not my name." All of the heroes turned to look at the newest heroine. Slowly, she took off the false wings and leaned back into the chair. "I lost my wings, my real wings. This," She pointed to the metal, "This is a shitty substitute. I was feathered, winged, whatever. Past tense… I, I can't be Grey Feather without wings!" Her voice cracked, and sitting in that chair she felt so alone. Even with Raven's hand on her back, and Nightwing trying to bring her back from the edge, Grey felt so alone. In her mind she was screaming at herself. Calling out her name, begging for action to be taken. But then her own memories over came her and she was spaced out.

"So, Grey Winged," The Manhunter had entered the room during her spiel, "if I may call you that." She nodded, barely. "Maybe we should start from the beginning. No more waiting." And his eyes began to glow, then Raven's. In just a few moments everyone in the room was viewing the scenes that made an angel lose her wings.

To Be Continued...


	2. Queen and Purple Heart

**One Year Earlier**

"Again? Really?"

"Hm?" As she turned away from the screen, the pain that followed made her head spin. "Gah! Jeez, was I staring that long?" The brunette shook out her curls, while the man in front of her desk only chuckled.

"Yeah, take a break. It's not even noon and you've gotten all of our paperwork done and half of it sent out. That is, if you were the one sending me the emails and not some robotic clone. Because I'm sure you're not human. Not fully."

"Always doubt," Was the reply. "But that actually was me. Yay for Mondays…" She rubbed her eyes; the smell of coffee filled her nose for the first time that day. It was impossible to get away from the desk quick enough. Her face was disgusted. "Get that crud away from me."

"Hey it's mine," He took a slurp to annoy her. Looking pleased with himself for being a pain, he nodded to the cup in his other hand. "I got you water. Crushed ice just as you like, freak."

"You know me, so, so well." Still rubbing her eyes, she took the water and chugged it down. Finally looking around, she took in the sight of the office. It was a mess, but to her standards it was perfect. A mess was when you couldn't see the floor. Here the floor was easily seen. Cabinets covered in paper, and walls filled with more papers all clinging together with tape? That was her form of an organized and functional office space.

And though her friend didn't agree, he accepted it. "Erika Holmes, did I ever tell you-"

"That you love me?"

"Not what I was going for."

"That you hate me?"

"Sometimes, but no."

"That I'm the weirdest person you've ever met?"

He clapped his hands, and spilt a little bit of coffee on his tie. "Ah, that's the one." She handed him a napkin. The one clean space in the room being her desk. On which, she left napkins for when they got take out. They always got take out. "Thanks, so I have said it before?"

"Only every time I do something. You know, I bet superheroes don't like coffee either." The duo left their small, cluttered office, and began walking down the Gotham street. It was around ten, so traffic was almost at an all-time low.

"Oh really?" He laughed, and Erika playfully hit him. "Tell me more about what you think a hero's day is like."

Erika grinned, and right then he regretted it. She loved any chance to talk about superheroes. "I swear Ryan, they aren't that different. Take away the power, the fame, and they are just like us. Same fears, needs, wants, and-"

"And you are such a fan girl."

"Yes," She said, not taking the comment as an insult. Erika had a habit of either ignoring or being completely ignorant of people saying anything less than nicely about her. "yes I am. Because one day that's going to be me. You too, if you wanted to try."

"Pass."

"Why not? Saving people, stopping bad guys, helping others-"

Ryan laughed, "All the fame, the ladies, the glory!"

"It's never about that! You were a solider once upon a time. You would agree with me back then." The two stopped walking, and though it was nearly midday the street was practically empty.

This was fine to Erika, who was starting to realize she should have just shut up. Her mouth was always getting her into fights with Ryan, who was normally a pretty peaceful guy. Erika just happened to press all the wrong buttons sometimes.

All the man did was stare her down. Normally, he'd brush it off because Erika never meant to bring up the solider thing. Today, fate had decided nothing was going to be normal anymore. In fact anything concerning Erika this day wasn't going to be close to normal.

"It's not all fairy tales and heroes winning, Erika. Get out of your fantasy world." She took a step back into the street. Ryan was turning red, all the things he'd wanted to tell her finally coming to surface. "Stop acting like a child all of the time. You're smart enough to have a double major in forensics and mechanics, yet you keep on this fantasy that you'll be a superhero. You can't even fight! You have a summer job as a paper pusher in a P.I's office, who doesn't even show up and talks to us ONLY by email, and you expect to aspire to something just by magic?!"

"Well, no. Once I get the money toget-"

"Oh right!" He interrupted, "You'll be buying and building stuff like the God damn Batman! Get over yourself Erika!" Ryan stormed off as soon as he finished, leaving her in the street.

Erika wasn't upset, really. Admittedly she was a bit mad with herself for setting Ryan off like that. And as she watched him take off, Erika's mind was already playing back the scene and changing it.

_If I was like Batman, that would have gone differently. Someday…_

That's when it happened. A crash like thousands of thunder heads racing to the Earth. Lights like nuclear bombs filled the sky. She looked up, and little did Erika know that her wishes had come true. All those nights spent planning, every little bit of work to get to where she was, all those moments reading about the Justice League and the villains they faced, it meant nothing now.

As the Exobytes filled her and tinkered with her DNA, Erika Bertram stood. Watching, and wondering:

_Who's the hero that's going to save the day now?_


End file.
